


We Three Of The Sea

by Quemnopi



Category: Cardiacs (UK Band), Progressive Rock RPF, Punk Rock RPF, Rock Music RPF
Genre: Awkward Romance, F/M, Light Angst, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Rare Fandoms, Rare Pairings, Recreational Drug Use, Threesome - F/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:27:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24825292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quemnopi/pseuds/Quemnopi
Summary: "Are you trying to annoy me again? Because it's not working." Bill smiled. "You know, in the old days, you two would have vanished into the bedroom by now. Twice.""We broke up, remember? And you left the band.""I think we all kind of pretended we left, actually." Sarah felt buoyant, like she was floating in a sea of unlimited possibilities. They had been working on the album for a week, the best week of her life. She had felt closer to Bill than she ever had, and definitely closer to Tim than she had since she had left him and the band three years ago. The best friends she had ever had. And they were making wonderful music again, something she hadn't realized she would miss so much. She got up and stood next to Bill at the piano."Kiss her," Tim said.Read that article about the recording of On the Dry Land that's linked off of the Sea Nymphs wiki. Felt all of the feels. Was overwhelmed by subtext. Got naughty ideas. Wrote story.Attn to the Caring Concern: I write with nothing but love and respect for this band.RIP Tim Smith, the last scene of this story is very painful for me to read right now.
Relationships: Tim Smith/Sarah Smith/William D Drake





	We Three Of The Sea

Sarah inhaled, and passed the joint to Bill. The lamps in the house that they were staying at cast a dim yellow light, and the windows were open and letting in a faint sea breeze. It was 1992, and Sarah, Tim and Bill were recording On the Dry Land. It was late at night, and they were listening to the day's work and relaxing. Tim took the joint and held it for a while until someone reminded him to take a hit. He had seemed strangely distracted that evening.

"No. It should sound like this." Bill stood up, walked over to a piano in the corner, and started to play the intro. Tim walked over and hit a random key, and then another random one. He was still holding the joint.

"But not like that," Bill said. Tim inhaled again, and blew the smoke in his face.

"Are you trying to annoy me again? Because it's not working." Bill smiled. "You know, in the old days, you two would have vanished into the bedroom by now. Twice."

"We broke up, remember? And you left the band."

"I think we all kind of pretended we left, actually." Sarah felt buoyant, like she was floating in a sea of unlimited possibilities. They had been working on the album for a week, the best week of her life. She had felt closer to Bill than she ever had, and definitely closer to Tim than she had since she had left him and the band three years ago. The best friends she had ever had. And they were making wonderful music again, something she hadn't realized she would miss so much. She got up and stood next to Bill at the piano.

"Kiss her," Tim said. Bill blinked, got up, knelt in front of Sarah, and dramatically kissed her hand. Tim grinned. 

"No, not like that. I'm serious. Kiss her. You both need it."

I don't fancy him, Sarah thought. But, somehow, she felt open to anything at that moment. Bill stood up, and they kissed, a real open-mouth passionate kiss. She pulled back for a second. "Oh." She sat down on the piano bench, confused. Tim got up and stroked her hair. "You're the best he'll ever have." He looked up at Bill. "Now, kiss her again."

"I'm just stoned enough to make this seem like a good idea," said Bill. He took her into his arms. They kissed again, running their hands all over their bodies. Sarah's apprehension changed into a warm nervous arousal.

Tim was quiet for a while. "Let's all get into a bed before any of us changes our mind, OK?"

\--

They sprinted into the master bedroom. Sarah and Bill jumped in first, undressing and fondling each other, while Tim lay on his side next to them. A while later, Bill lifted his head and spoke.

"You know, I can't get it up with you just watching us like that. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all." He sighed and started to remove his clothes. "I think my zipper is about to break open."

"Then you can go first." Sarah opened her legs to receive him. She had forgotten how much she had missed his touch. He had ended up as a affectionate and vigorous lover after they were able to get rid of some of his odder hangups, and it took no time at all for them to get back in the swing of things. Bill was a little trepidacious at first, almost like he was expecting Tim to jealously throw him out of the bed, but he soon warmed up to the proceedings. And Sarah had had things she'd wanted to try in a situation like this. A lot of things.

Sarah woke up a few hours later. It was still dark, but the stars were starting to wash out; the sun would be coming up soon. She looked back at the other two sleeping. What just happened?, she thought. Does he want me to get together with Bill? Or get back together with him? Or something else? His unpredictability was a major reason why she had left him in the first place. She put a bathrobe on and headed outside to the beach. Maybe she could make up some kind of ritual to clear her head.

She found a stick of driftwood about the size of her hand and drew three hearts, three stars, three swirls, and watched as the water came in and washed it away. She then sat cross-legged at the edge of the water, closed her eyes and tried to think of nothing at all.

"What are you doing?" Tim was standing a few feet behind her on the shore, smoking. He found the driftwood and threw it out to sea. "Are you OK?"

"I think so." She got up and walked back to land. "Tim, I...."

"I still love you, I always will," he said. "I'll never get you back, but I love you." His voice raised in pitch. "I want Bill, too, but I don't want him without you. But I don't know about that. Nothing is going to happen after this. Nothing is going to happen after this."

"You're babbling." She hadn't expected this. She noticed Bill standing behind him and motioned to him to be quiet.

"I still like girls. I mostly like girls. But something is changing in me. I just hug and kiss blokes onstage for no reason at all, right?" He finished his cigarette and lit another one. He sighed. "I always know I've had a good one if I feel guilty afterward."

"Are you alright now?"

"I think so." He finally noticed Bill, and was quiet for a moment. "Sarah really enjoyed your cock. I want to try it out for myself."

"I think she's drained it dry for tonight. But we could try another day." 

Tim turned toward Sarah. "Can you put up with us doing this?" He pulled Bill in for a lingering kiss.

"I can definitely put up with us doing this," Bill said. He paused. "Looks like she liked it, too."

\--

The next evening, they gathered in the master bedroom again. The day had passed by in a haze of tender feelings and overwhelming lust. Sarah felt connected to them on a cellular level now. She curled up in the middle of the bed and watched the other two try to figure out who would make the first move. They were flushed, breathing heavily, but hesitant. Finally, Tim sank to his knees in front of Bill.

"Bloody hell. Am I going to have to start *everything* myself no matter what it is?"

Sarah watched with growing delight while Tim and Bill figured out what felt good and where things went. She soon could no longer stop herself from joining in. It was easier and more enjoyable now that she no longer had to please two men all by herself.

Afterwards, Tim and Sarah cuddled while Bill rolled a joint.

"I just want to know one thing," Tim said.

"Anything."

He was quiet for a while. "I know I can be...a right bastard at times."

"It turns me on," said Sarah.

"Me too," said Bill.

Sarah passed the joint back to Tim. "We would have told you to fuck off if we didn't want to do anything. You know that." A second passed. "You aren't feeling guilty again, are you?"

"I've been trying to learn to stop feeling guilty if I have nothing to feel guilty about. It will go away." He paused. "You know, we started Sea Nymphs so that we could do music that we couldn't with the rest of the band. We could also do other things...."

"That we couldn't do with the rest of the band. Got it." 

"I don't think my brother even has a cock, much less knows what to do with it."

Sarah giggled. "Were you trying to get me together with Bill when you asked him to kiss me?"

"No. I was just trying to yank his chain a bit. I figured one of you would tell me to sod off, and that would be that. But when you two actually did it...we've all been kind of touchy-feely with each other, but this time...Anyway, let's get some sleep."

They did the same thing in twos and threes every evening when they weren't too tired or stoned or drunk. Sarah felt the passion seep into the music they were recording. It was too intense to last, and it faded away after they ran out of studio time and had to leave the sun and the seaweed and the sea breeze. Soon, Tim fell in love with Jo and Bill fell in love with someone else and that was that.

\--

2015\. They were gathered in a studio. Sarah was squirting lemon juice into her mouth and looking through messages on her phone. She was so happy that Tim was finally well enough to finish the album they had started so long ago. No matter what happened to the rest of his body, she thought, he still scowls at me in exactly the same way when I hit a wrong note. She walked over to Bill, who had a panel on his keyboard open and was staring into it. The track that they had been working on, "After," started playing back...sandcastles, driftwood, the night of the day they had originally recorded it...oh. They had never really talked about what had happened so long ago. She put her hand on Bill's shoulder. Grey hair and a beard really became him, she thought. 

"You're taken, and so am I," he said.

"Oh, yeah." She shook her head to clear it. "So is Tim, for what it's worth. Do you think he's thinking of the same thing we are?" She felt someone lightly brush their fingers against her arm.

Tim's caregiver had pushed his wheelchair over to the two of them. Tim pointed to the door, and his caregiver left. He started tapping, slowly, on his communication board. 

_Thinking about it all day. Helps me get through the pain._ A pause. _Should have done it ten years before that. Ten years from now, if we are all single._ A sly grin. _I will be ready for you._ He rested for a few minutes. _I love you both._

Sarah wrapped her hands around his forearm, and Bill kissed him on the lips. "We will be ready for you, too."


End file.
